Holy Father – is he Holy?

A young man stood up at my conference in the Philippines a while ago and parroted (yelled out) the Fundamentalist mantra: “The Pope is a sinner like everyone else; why do you call him ‘HOLY Father’?”

I leaned into the microphone and said to the young man in front of 2,000 people, “You should really read your Bible more carefully and do your homework before you stand up and embarrass yourself in front of 2,000 people.” I then explained why we call the Pope our Holy Father.

There are several meanings for the word “holy” and that is what the young man did not understand. If holy simply means without sin, it is hard to see why “things” are called holy. For example, the HOLY OF HOLIES is a place. Is it called holy because it has not sinned?

And what about HOLY GROUND? God told Moses to remove his sandals — he was standing on HOLY GROUND. I guess that means that this dirt had not sinned but the dirt in the next gully had sinnned. HUH?

The word HOLY in Hebrew is kodesh and means apartness, holiness, sacredness, consecration, separateness. Holiness can mean without sin. It can also means dedicated or set apart for God.

So, is the Pope holy in the sense of being completely sinless? Of course not. But the Pope is set apart for God in a special way as the HOLY Father, the Vicar of Christ, the Bishop of Rome and the Successor of Peter.

Bottom line, he is the HOLY FATHER and this fits perfectly with the Bible.

So much for a dumb challenge at a conference.

PS Remember that even WE are called holy. Paul considered all of us saints (literally “holy ones” with a small “s”). He writes,

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother. To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints (literally: “holy ones”) who are in the whole of Achaia: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 1:1-2).

When the young man stood up he was dripping with sarcasism and hostility. Filipinos are always getting kicked around by these folks and I take it upon myself to strongly defend them publically when I am with them in the Philippines.

As regards the first comment on this issue, you are much more of a gentleman than I am. May God forgive me, I have neither time, nor patience, nor desire to be polite with such people!!

I am beyond tired of the Swaggarts, MacArthurs, Whites, etc of this land leading people astray, continuing the schism, and creating more generations of confused Protestant kids who think they are pleasing Jesus by spreading lies and misinformation about His Church. In fact, Jesus Himself said that those who are teachers are going to be under a much more intense scrutiny on the Judgment Day. Perhaps we are doing them a favor to “get in their grille” a little bit rather than act like the usual apologetic and no nothing Catholic that these people have been picking off as converts to their heresies for years.

I would have paid good money to have seen the look on his face when you responded.

Steve, you are a convert to Catholicism from the Evangelical church. I am a convert from Islam into Christianity at large. Converts have a tendency to react harshly against their past, thus be fanatic. I love Catholic books; in fact, they are mostly what I read in Arabic Christian books. But if you convert to Catholicism, you don’t have to swallow every phrase of their own. It is okay to be a Catholic convert par excellent and still have reservations on their excesses. To have excesses is human. We as humans like to give big, huge titles such as the Holy Father, the Holy of Holies, the Best in the best or the best of the West, and it even gets more interesting when you deal with a Semitic person like me, we like to exaggerate; we thrive on exaggeration. Unless an Arab like me exaggerates, he hasn’t expressed himself. So, the phrase “Holy Father” while I see it as a title of respect and it is okay, but it is still an excess in expression, and it lends to man more than what he can afford. He is indeed a man like you and me, same thing like our Lord Jesus Christ in His full divinity, a man like you and me.

Bro. Steve, we filipinos are very sensitive in terms of feelings. Though the people around you praised you for your reasoning, but let us also consider the person’s feeling. Sometimes, as what we observed in our CFD community, they forget the humility our Lord Jesus taught us to have, every time, especially in preaching the truth. Yes, we are preaching the truth, but sometimes, we became like Pharisees unconsciously. So much for that bros., maybe there are some factors in that actual scene who resulted on that reaction(answer). I salute you Bro. Steve for sharing your time with us here in Davao, hope to see you soon. Continue spreading the goodness in your heart! God bless you! Salamat, Ingat and Mabuhay!

STEVE RAY HERE: HELLO BROTHER ER: Thanks for writing. I have been to the Philippines five times now and each time I have loved your country, your people, your profound faith, your good food and friendliness. I have always said the Filipinos are my favorite people in the world. Have you read my Open Letter to Filipino People?

I understand what you are saying and I have to agree and disagree. Yes, we should be charitable and kind, but that does not = being nice. Jesus was the most aggressive and harsh of anyone in dealing with those who opposed the true faith. He railed at the Pharisees and called them “white washed tombs full of dead men’s bones, clean on the outside and rotten on the inside” (Matt 23:27). And he declared it publicly — seemingly not worried about their feelings.

I try to follow the example of Jesus and not be so worried about feelings but about truth. Jesus was loving but he was not nice. Sometimes he was loving enough to be very harsh and even offend someone’s feelings. When I stood up to the young man and was strong against him, it built up the faith of 2,000 people.

What I found in the Philippines and what people told me is this: “We have been beat up by these vicious Protestant, anti-Catholics and that no one has ever defended us before. We didn’t even know our Catholic faith could be defended.”

So that was the spirit of the confrontation and though I am kind as much as possible, there are times where, like Christ, I don’t mind confronting someone strongly.

I agree with Brother Ed above about being tired of the Swaggerts etc…. I often listen to the Catholic answers open line show on the radio and they just answer question after question after question. It is very uplifting to hear someone defend the faith and I hope one day I can be better at it myself. God Bless you for your witness!

Ibrahim, you said:Steve, you are a convert to Catholicism from the Evangelical church. I am a convert from Islam into Christianity at large. Converts have a tendency to react harshly against their past, thus be fanatic.

Perhaps you are projecting. I have found that converts to Catholicism from Evangelicalism or Protestantism tend to be very charitable towards their former peers.

I love Catholic books; in fact, they are mostly what I read in Arabic Christian books. But if you convert to Catholicism, you don’t have to swallow every phrase of their own. It is okay to be a Catholic convert par excellent and still have reservations on their excesses. To have excesses is human. We as humans like to give big, huge titles such as the Holy Father, the Holy of Holies, the Best in the best or the best of the West, and it even gets more interesting when you deal with a Semitic person like me, we like to exaggerate; we thrive on exaggeration. Unless an Arab like me exaggerates, he hasn’t expressed himself. So, the phrase “Holy Father” while I see it as a title of respect and it is okay, but it is still an excess in expression, and it lends to man more than what he can afford.

Respectfully, I disagree. Perhaps you didn’t read the entire explanation which Steve gave. But I thought it was excellent. The title does not imply that the Pope will never sin. It means that he has been set apart, as have all of us who are Baptized. We are set apart and in that sense “holy”. The Holy Father is set apart in a more exclusive sense, since Jesus set him apart to shepherd His people (John 21:17).

He is indeed a man like you and me, same thing like our Lord Jesus Christ in His full divinity, a man like you and me.

I’m not quite following that one. Are you saying that Jesus Christ was a man like you and I? You have not left Islam behind completely, it seems. In Christianity, we believe that Jesus is God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity.

There were comments made concerning that Steve may have been “harsh” in his response.

It seems to me, when someone yells out “The Pope is a sinner….” in the middle of a Catholic conference, that person is not being especially caring about Catholic sensitivities. Therefore, Steve’s response seemed perfectly attuned to the nature of the communication. That was not a question of inquiry. It was a question wrapped in an insult.

dear Stephen,
thank you so much for your input you had recently in our wounded catholic church in ireland in your coming here.i loved your talk(s).im currently facing my faith’s challenge.Im polish myself and have a friend who is oryginally polish catholic but married to an egyptian copt.they are strongly defending the ant-pope in rome policy and say that jesus appointed all the apostles to that role not peter alone et.i strongly feel i can not let it go and have to defend our pope and show them the way.please help.i will be forever grateful!!!!!!!!!!!as i think from this can their conversion start.Pray for this please.thank you so much for help!!!.Dorota

It was partially the beauty of the Catholic Filipinos I worked among as a piano teacher which brought me to Catholicism. Such joy as I have never seen in Protestantism. The wise-acre young man is just one of many who are in the fold who know more than you, and are willing to tell you all about it. I was no different than this young man, at one time. Snide, proud, arrogant and only 8 years old. That’s how it starts.

Hi Steve,
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I believe it wasn’t just the kid who needed that explanation and enlightenment, but also most Catholics. I’m a Filipino; I just bought your book Crossing the Tiber. I know it will strengthen my faith and educate me. I will be coming home this May and I intend to give it to my aunt who is a devout Catholic that lost her 6 children to Protestantism.

I'm sorry my friend but if you're going to try to lecture about the faith shouldn't you be well educated enough in Christianity to understand the need to respect one another? The way you describe calling him out and throwing him in the mud as if he embarrassed himself for being passionate about respecting God as the only holy father. You implied he had a "dumb challenge" but if you are as knowledgeable as you act then behave as such, if you think others are wrong then teach them, do not embarrass or belittle therm for you are no better than they are. The only one who has the right to pass judgement and sit on a throne is our Lord Jesus Christ the Almighty Father God. We are all sinners, we are no better than each other, you should praise God and spread his word by behaving like he wants us to and not be self righteous like the pharisees that spoke down about Jesus Christ and his apostles.

STEVE RAY HERE: Robert, if you had any idea of the situation in the Philippines you would not propose to dictate to me or teach me about how to handle apologetics. The anti-Catholic's there are very aggressive and are pounding and attacking Catholics left and right. I stood up to one of them and was glad I did and so was everyone else. I was setting an example and making a point. I got a standing ovation from the Catholics because finally someone stood up to one of these bullies. Try not to be a bully yourself OK? God bless.

I lived in Singapore & Hong Kong. I spent most Christmases in Makati. at the Intercontinental Hotel.

My Staff were very religious we would go to Mass Before work. My General Manager was a Top Knight in Knights of Columbus. We even prayed to start a meeting. I understand the Evangelicals in Asia they are aggressive. That is an understatement. They used to stand outside the Cathedral in Singapore on Sunday morning trying to channel you to the Bible college across the street.

12 years ago I was awoken from being a practicing Catholic to a protector of the Faith and Church.
I was in the local Post office In West Chester Pa. at 745am on a First Saturday . There was a flyer from the Local Baptist Church that was warning Catholics were going to be condemned to Hell, The Pope was the anti Christ and Mother Mary the whore of Babylon. I was shocked. I picked up the flyer and left for mass.

While enroute I encountered a Freshmen at WCU who studied Music whose dad was a Preacher at an evangelical Church. He approached me asking “You are a Catholic aren’t You?” I answered yes Proudly!
This lad then began scolding me for being Catholic. Then started Challenging my beliefs. I was a typical Cradle Catholic who went to Catholic school for 16 years and simply understood and practiced his faith. I was even an Altar Boy and lector. I even Participated in the Catholic Philopatrian Literary Institute in Philly as Co-Chair of the Young adults. What I couldn’t do was DEFEND my Faith/Church.

That afternoon I went to the Library and stumbled onto a term called APOLOGETICS. 3 people came to my attention named Hahn, Keating and Madrid. I checked out their Books and tried to immerse myself over the next decade. I met Steve Ray online later.

Fast forward to last weekend I am walking on the same street passing a Restaurant with outdoor dining after our Saturday Vigil mass with the Parish Bulletin firmly clutched in my hand. A young woman with her boyfriend and Parents starts speaking loudly says see that guy walking towards us he is a Catholic with that Sunday Bulletin in his hand you can tell. Do believe the crap they believe. I look int0 her eyes and say You must be an Evangelical. She looked stunned. How do you like your Bible? What would you know the bible your a Catholic. I then said how do you think the books were chosen for the new Testament. She shrugged her shoulders. I explained Every book of the new Testament contributed to the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Do you know what the only Covenant of the New Testament is? I told her THE EUCHARIST..Read John 6.. As a matter of fact I just received the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist 15 Minutes ago. I feel so good I am going to let you enjoy your meal with your Parents. God Bless!